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Peter Gabriel, Musician and Activist, Co-founder of WITNESS

About

Peter Gabriel is best known as a musician. He started his solo work in 1975 after leaving his group, Genesis. He has released eleven solo albums, numerous live albums and written soundtracks for four films.

In 1980, he founded WOMAD (World of Music Arts and Dance), which has presented 170 festivals in over 40 countries. In 1992, he co-founded WITNESS, pioneering the use of cameras and technology in human rights work. He also co-founded The Elders.org with Richard Branson, designed to bring together a small group of highly respected global leaders, initiated by Nelson Mandela in July 2007. Most recently he launched The Toolbox (thetoolbox.org), a platform to curate, assemble and create mobile technology tools to empower people to become everyday activists.

Among the many honors he has received are the Man of Peace award, presented by the Nobel Peace Laureates in 2007, the ‘Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ and the ‘Quadriga’ award. He has received various lifetime achievement awards including BT’s Digital Music Pioneer Award, The Polar Music Prize, as well as five Grammy awards and an Oscar nomination. On April 10, 2014 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.